Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:42:28 -0500
From: Interfaith Working Group
Subject: IWG Fresno Bee Vermont letter
January 9, 2000
Fresno Bee
1626 E Street
Fresno, CA 93789
Dear Editors:
Thank you for your December 29 pro-marriage editorial.
We especially appreciated your statement that "no
person or church can be ordered to condone same-sex
marriage if it defies deeply held convictions; the
state, however, ought not to be swayed by such
convictions to continue to deny equal rights to
citizens solely because of their sexual orientation."
We believe it is important to note there are currently
forms of marriage that are recognized by the state and
not by some religious institutions, such as interfaith
marriages and marriages after divorce, and that there
are religious institutions that currently marry
same-sex couples. We also agree that civil and
religious marriage need to be disentangled, both
legally and in the popular conscience. Civil marriage
creates a nationally-recognized legal relationship
between two otherwise unrelated consenting adults of
different genders, regardless of their races or
religions, and regardless of society's racial and
religious sensibilities and prejudices. The issue at
hand is only whether gender discrimination should be
removed from the civil definition.
Sincerely,
Barbara Lamond Purdom Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators
The above letter was sent on IWG letterhead listing 18 congregations and
religious organizations and 63 clergy from 16 religious traditions. Visit
our Religious Support for Equal Marriage Rights page:
http://www.iwgonline.org/marriage/
--
Interfaith Working Group
PO Box 11706
Philadelphia, PA 19101
http://www.iwgonline.org/
iwg@iwgonline.org
voice: 215-235-3050
fax: 215-232-0829